One Response to Palliative medicine physicians use morphine with great care

In his End of Life Choice Bill, Mr Seymour defines assisted dying as “the
administration by a medical practitioner of a lethal dose of medication
to a person to relieve his or her suffering by hastening death”.

In David Seymour’s view this is what ‘currently happens’.

My experience of what ‘currently happens’ is nothing like his definition of assisted dying.

A subtle distinction, which Mr Seymour seems to have missed, is currently the medical profession prescribes medication which may end in death, however their intention is either to heal or a least relieve pain.

The patient may still die, however the intention is quite different.

While on first reading I was surprised to ‘learn’ from Mr Seymour that this ‘is’ what currently happens, however on second reading I find it highly offensive of Mr Seymour to even hint that it does.

I remain grateful to the medical profession for, over the years, their best efforts to both assist me and my whanau.